Comments Off on Young Impact IDPs Week 8: Bradley Roby and Jaime Collins

In fantasy football, there are some new trends that I enjoy writing about: dynasty leagues, and individual defensive player leagues. This weekly column will combine two of those by discussing two young IDPs. I will give my scouting thoughts on how they played a particular week. Today I will be discussing the Broncos rookie cornerback Bradley Roby and the Patriots linebacker Jaime Collins.

CB-Bradley Roby, DEN- This rookie corner faces teams every week in hurry up mode. Because he played his college ball at Ohio State, this is just another day in the office for Roby. The corner back plays physical when asked, jamming the receiver at the line of scrimmage or can play off up to ten yards depending on what the defensive call is. It varied where he played: the slot, on the outside or deep middle. Against the Chargers, Roby spent a great deal of the time chasing Keenan Allen around the gridiron. He closes quickly on the ball with good anticipation. When the corner is shadowing his receiver, he tries to keep the offensive player in front of him at all times. Read More »

The time is drawing near. Preseason game three is the dress rehearsal for every NFL franchise and the most important game for fantasy football. The players get placed in real game scenarios and get game planned against. The only constant about the NFL is that it is always evolving and this week’s games are no different. I watched at least three-quarters to get the best idea about how these players would be used. My focus is on the first three-year players and this year’s free agents. Here are my observations:

Bills vs. Bucs

The Bills defensive front four collapsed the Tampa Bay pocket well, which hurried a lot of throws and shortened a lot of running lanes. Unfortunately for Buffalo fans, EJ Manuel is looking worse, not better each week. He does not set his feet, and rushes most of his throws. The young quarterback got strip sacked for a touchdown and threw a pick when his tight end fell down on a route. Manual played better in the third quarter, but that was against the Buccaneer second and third team defenses. Former Tampa receiver, Mike Williams, made a nice jump and stick the landing catch on the sidelines. He also got behind his corner to score a red zone touchdown.

Doug Martin caught the ball well in stride, showed off a little wiggle, and got low on the way to a short yardage touchdown. None of his backups are standing out in the preseason, so he should get the bulk of Tampa’s carries this season. Rookie receiver Mike Evans does a great job of shielding his coverage away from the ball, and catches the ball at its highest point. The young wide out gets sent out in motion to create the best one on one matchups. He sprinted down the field 30 yards untouched to make a nice jump ball catch in the end zone. I would be excited if I had him on my dynasty squad. Read More »

The next impactful IDP player I want to discuss is the new Denver Broncos first round cornerback, former Ohio State Bradley Roby. He had a few substance abuse issue reports that popped up close to the NFL Draft that helped him slide into the end of the first round. If he can take care of those issues, there is no reason to believe that he cannot make his mark in the NFL this season and on your IDP fantasy squad. Because I am a huge Michigan Wolverines fan, the former Buckeye Roby is no stranger to me. I re-watched four of his 2013 games against my beloved Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Penn State to get a better feel for what skill set he brings into the NFL. Read More »

Let’s be honest, defensive backs, unless they get rewarded for return yardage, are like kickers because their value ties to their surrounding cast more than the real player. You want safeties that play with weaker linebackers so they can have more tackle opportunities and you want corner backs that play on teams either with good offenses or that have a stud cornerback on the other side. Every point counts on your fantasy teams, so make sure you get the best possible player you can.

1.Calvin Pryor, S, Jets

Not only is Pryor the hardest hitter in his class, he gets to play for Rex Ryan who will make sure the young safety gets himself in the best spot to make plays. Pryor won’t be asked to be in coverage much, so he can be an extra thumper near the line of scrimmage and might lead the Jets in tackles. He makes a great IDP from day one. Read More »

Sometimes with dynasty leagues, the idea of ranking rookie defensive backs is quite silly. More often than not, it is the opportunity that decides their value. NFL teams that have great scoring offenses usually give defensive backs more chances to make plays as the other team is playing behind and will be less conservative with the pigskin. This is my top ten pre-draft assessments of the defensive backs by talent and football IQ.

1.Calvin Pryor, S, Louisville

This safety is the hardest hitter in his class. He reads the field well with excellent vision and gets himself in the best spot to make plays. Pryor uses his physicality and seems to be a bit of a head hunter. He isn’t smooth in coverage and can fall for multiple move fakes. If Pryor ends up with a team that has weak linebackers, he might lead his team in tackles. Read More »